Clare GAA discussion thread

Lads, Looking for a bit of help. I am heading to the Munster Final Sunday but have to head on to wexford afterwards. Anyone have any advice on where is best to park?

philip1526 wrote: »

Lads, Looking for a bit of help. I am heading to the Munster Final Sunday but have to head on to wexford afterwards. Anyone have any advice on where is best to park?

I would recomend head in the direction of templetouhy , which leads you in the direction of Kilkenny , park near the Munster hotel which is near the bridge across from Hayes hotel , avoid heading out on to the moterway near horse and jockey as all the cork supports would be going that way

I guess these are some of my thoughts about Sunday's game.

The bookies having this game at evens tells alot, I too think its a really hard game to call between two quite similarly built teams. I think Clare have a good chance of finally ending our 20 year wait for a Munster crown this weekend, but they have got to learn from their previous two meetings against Cork in the championship. Both those games featured bizarre in the extreme tactics, with last year's Munster final retreating out to the 40 on puckouts, and forcing going for goal on most of our scoring chances in the first round of the championship this year. Gerry O'Connor was in the paper this week saying that the big difference in their preparation this year was focusing more on themselves and not on the opposition. On Sunday, we have to play our own game, both those tactics were hugely responsible for our losses to Cork.

To be blunt really though, if Clare are going to win they have to bring it to Cork, in both a savage workrate and physical challenge. I have given the lads credit in recent weeks against both Tipp and Limerick for doing this, we saw it with the likes of SOD diving at the end of the Tipp game to stop the Tipp back getting the ball, or Podge laying out Condon in the Park against Limerick, Tony Kelly too ran 40 yards after Cian Lynch to win the ball back. That's the type of effort Clare need to bring against Cork, and to be truthful, it's the main reason Cork have had our number in the championship since '13. We have been letting the Cork backs all time and space they need, to pick out a nice diagonal ball to hop up for the likes of Horgan, Harnedy, Cadogan, etc. to run riot. Last year's Munster final allowing Nash to pick out free men on the 40 was one of the craziest tactics I seen in going to intercounty matches, our full back line was always going to be in trouble. I think our full back line this year is going well; we are probably looking at Patch on Horgan; Davy Mc on Harnedy and Browne on Kingston. I think the lads can give them enough of it, if the Cork backs are not giving them regular good ball inside. In the match against Cork this year, Clare's workrate was actually pretty good until we got that sucker punch of a goal by Lehane, we should really have been up by a lot more. Clare had the run on Cork up until then and we should take those positives and bring them to this game.

I think looking at the previous meeting, there is no doubt Malone @ 9, Duggan @ 10, Kelly @ 11 and Conlon @ 14 is a far, far superior combination than Malone @ 10, Duggan @ 14, Kelly @ 9 and Conlon @ 11. The players are in their better positions for sure and I expect this to have a more positive impact on our scoring return. That said, out of the full backs in the province; Cahalane, Casey, Coughlin and Kennedy; Damien Cahalane is definitely going to give John Conlon's his stiffest test. Cahalane has good movement and is a strong lad himself, but still, if we get good ball into John he is going to trouble anybody given his physique and talent. It will be interesting as always when Kelly lines up at 11, whether the opposition decide to follow him. If it is Christopher Joyce, and he does follow him, it will open up some space for Podge to work with. Podge has earned his spot on the team, but I'm still skeptical of what he can contribute in a tightly spaced forward line, if it opens up like it did in the second halves of the Limerick and Tipp game, he should make hay the way we know.

Overall I feel Clare are more ready for the Cork challenge than they realistically ever should be. I think we have got along way to fixing some glaring weakness such as free taking, discipline and goalkeeping and we should have learned alot from our last 2 defeats to Cork. As I said, I think it will be tight game but I have a feeling we will finally get the better of this Cork team. Here's hoping anyway.

opinionated3 wrote: »

Whilst acknowledging that David reidy rightfully got his red card rescinded, was there any result of Moloneys appeal??

Clare co-manager Donal Moloney will not be on the sideline for Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Cork as the Central Hearings Committee (CHC) have upheld his recommended three-month ban.

The Irish Examiner understands the county board intend appealing the decision to the Central Appeals Committee on Moloney's behalf, but until such time the Scarriff man cannot play an active role for the Banner in Thurles.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gaa/donal-moloney-sideline-ban-upheld-ahead-of-munster-final-clash-with-cork-851704.html

Funnily enough I always thought having some of the management high up in the stands is a good way of seeing the action like what they do in rugby. Donal mic'd up in the stand and Gerry on the line might work even better.

Clare v Armagh

not looking forward to buying the program in the athletic grounds tomorrow afternoon , it seems colm colins has taken the same stance as keiran mcgeaney and decided not to announce his side until the other lad shows his hand:pac:

geezer made a full 15 changes earlier this year in the year from the official program ahead of a league game against fermanagh at home

this is a huge game for both sides with the winner with a real chance of making the super 8s ,while both set of backs might be shaky enough i would back us to have the better forwards and might just be enough to get us over the line

fair play to oisin mconville over the week for the time he gave clare media in the preview to this game both in print and on radio , top class man knows his stuff in fairness far better pundit then one or two on rte especially on radio one , he has us tipped to fall short though tomorrow

one thing the players were critical last week was there was no water break in tullamore , it was every bit as hot as today up in the midlands last week surly if conditions continue commonsense will prevail tomorrow , the supporters ar not conditioned for this weather let alone the players :rolleyes:

Gael85 wrote: »

Ridiculous rule Clare having to travel up to Armagh. Big plus having Kevin Harnett back in action. If he nulify Andy Murnin Clare have good chance of winning. The bench will be vital tomorrow with the warm weather and lads will need step up when brought on.

barr the kerry debacle we have had a really good year especially with squad rotation it was the winning of the game in the end for us last week in the heat ,

as for the division 3 rule yeah it is a balls considering we were first out and both teams are going to be strong enough in division 2 next year , but in armagh's defense this is there first game all year against a team above division 3 so in truth maybe 3 years ago we would have taken the same break , still think we will win though , expect it to be high scoring as both sides dont normally do defending

Boots234 wrote: »

Clare were 1-15 to 1-11 up at one stage in the second half but ended up losing 2-16 to 1-15

Last 5-minutes the Armagh bench kicked into gear , we were dead on our feet at that stage and had nothing left , great effort in fairness pitty we couldn't have seen the game out , but all in all a fairly good year concidering how many injuries we had earlier in the year , division 2 status consolidated and a qualifer win has to be seen as a descent year for the footballers but we can achieve better in the coming years I think

jackboy wrote: »

What could be done from the sideline though? Energy levels were shot after the efforts in the first twenty minutes. Can't sustain that on a warm today.

I would agree with that too but as a Cork supporter when I saw Shane O'Donnell taken off I breathed a sigh of relief. He either scores or creates goals for others. I think taking him off was a mistake unless he was injured of course